Fire Pit Decomposed Granite Patio

Got a wild hair and decided to make a patio out back for our fire pit area. We love to sit in the back yard around a nice fire this time of year. So I figured why not.

Here are some pics of the project so far. Did this all this morning. Boy am I tired lol. Ready for the deco granite now. Should need about 2 yards which will take me 2 trips to the stone place. Should get this finished up this week.

Is that plastic going to effect water getting to the roots of your tree?

It shouldn’t there is several gaps in it that water can flow through but weeds should be tamped out, but I’m shooting from the hip here and don’t really have a clue hahah. I’m far from a pro at landscaping things.

Weeds will grow the DG. You are the Raptor can handle 1 yard of DG? It’s around 2,600 pounds if it’s not wet. 1 yard will cover about 70 square feet being 3 inches deep.

Weeds will grow through anything. The owner of the stone place has the same Raptor and said it’ll handle 1 yard. He said you’ll definitely be squatted but won’t be on the bump stops.

I like decomposed granite. Never had problems with anything growing through it. I did edge the granite with steel edging.

I wanted to do steel edging but this “gardening” project has turned into some big bucks already lol.

Every person I’ve known that had DC removed it because they were tired of tracking it in the house and scratching floors. Just something to keep in mind.

I have an area I use for parking my trailers with DG. Weeds come through every year, but no weed barrier underneath.

Yup. Ours gets tracked onto the patio and stains it. Twice a year I power wash the patio. Not a big enough issue for me to remove the DG, mine serves as a walkway and does a fine job.

Black plastic around trees is usually a bad idea for several reasons. It does keep down weeds for a while, but eventually you get enough dust/dirt/leaf debris in the rock to allow weeds and other seeds to grow anyway. The down side is that it keeps the tree roots from getting enough water, and also starves the ground of oxygen. An anaerobic environment is created, and the roots don't get any of the necessary O2. If you do use it, poke quite a few holes in it with a rake or pitchfork to allow water to seep in, either from rainfall or irrigation. The holes will be small enough that weeds aren't a problem, but you won't be killing a tree. Talk to a knowledgeable arborist (not just a gardner) and he will tell you how much different types of trees need to stay healthy.

Can you seal it to stop the tracking?



I was actually thinking of poking the holes like you mentioned. Thanks for the heads up.

Weed barrier material may be better, but still let’s a few weeds through.

Ha, I’ve already laid it down and staked it down. I’m not pulling it and putting landscaping paper down. I’ve never had good results with that. Might as well put nothing down IMO that stuff is worthless. But I’ll punch a bunch of tiny holes in it.

Put on your golf shoes and walk around on it

I converted a place in my yard where we used to have a trampoline into a fire pit area that is filled with decomposed granite.

The biggest issue with respect to weeds is that organic material will seep into the DG and then stuff grows in that DG.

I rake my DG every couple of months to keep that at bay and more often now to collect acorns that land in it.

Enjoy your fire pit.

weeds, thats what round up is for. good luck on the project

Well it only squatted just a little

Got that Cali Lean going on.

Got it all laid out and wet so I can tamp it down but this POS tamper I bought keeps getting the DG caked up on it and I get about 2 ft and have to clean it off. At this rate it’ll take me a week to get it tamped. Gonna have to go rent a vibrating plate tamper.

Nice

Coming along nicely.

Looking good Kyle

I like it, looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Yes looks great!

Thanks fellas. It’s getting there. Still got several hours of work ahead of me but I’m done for the day been going hard since 10am this morning.

Looking very good Kyle. I might do something similar.

i like looking at other peoples hard work!!! looks good from my house!

Spray the tamp with cooking spray

The ....

That actually sounds like it would work. I went and rented the vibrating compactor. Was a pain in the [censored] to work with and almost as slow as the hand tamper maybe it was me but it was slow as hell.

I had that crap when they first landscaped the yard. Rain washes it away easily. Hope you have better luck with it than I did.

Really nice to look at when it's all in place though.

Mixing in a little cement cuts down on the erosion.

Looks good. Just need a pit and some Adirondack Chairs. (Red).

Thanks, pit is going back in this evening and since this weekend is Halloween, I probably won't have enough time, but will be building 4 Adirondack chairs and some matching tables. Although red is my favorite color, will probably do a stain for a more natural color something close to the fence/deck stain. Haven't fully decided yet.

Or I might burn them and do a semi transparent stain over the top. I've done it several times and has a really cool effect.

Made some signs for my wife and mother in law last year with that same technique and I really liked how the red popped on top of the black.

The green really isn’t bad either.

This^^^^

My decomposed granite is around flagstone. I walk on flagstone not the granite. I was unaware it scratched floors.

Got the ole rustic dry stack fire pit back up.

Now I need some chairs…

Looks great, and the best part is less grass to mow and water. Have you thought about putting down flagstone or pavers?

Thanks possibly in the future for the flag stone, but not at the moment. Just want to enjoy it for a bit before I change it lol. We have so much shade in the back yard no grass really grows anyway besides in my garden area. This just make it much easier to deal with and looks way better than patchy grass.

Got the chairs all built today. Even made a little small one for my 3 year old specially for him. Now tomorrow I have a LOT of finishing work to do.

Very nice.

Looks awesome. Did you move it???

Looks great Kyle!

Thanks fellas!!

Did I move what?

I thought it incorporated the tree before.

Oh yea it still does that was just a pic that I snapped off the deck when I was done.

Once I get them all sanded, burned, stained, and cleared tomorrow I’ll get some more pictures. Still need to get my River rocks for around the tree. Probably going to put some succulents in there as well.

Looks really sturdy but I'd round the corners people will think you later for it.

Router will be over every inch tomorrow. Already planned on that just sitting in them a little they’re definitely “sharp”.

Well after a whole morning of sanding, God I hate sanding, finally getting to the staining part. Burning them was fun as always. Oh and installing the beverage holders, can’t forget those lol.

The red with the subtle black coming through makes it pop. Really like the results so far.

One down, dammit I need a paint sprayer.

I get stuck in those chairs...which yes is more of a me problem.

Lol not gonna lie first time I sat down in one of them I thought I was going to fall through the ground. They’re definitely low riders

Also easy to fall asleep in.

It happens to the best of us.

That's a knee knocker for sure I thought you was going to round off the corners?

Looks nice other than that

I couldn’t find a bit I liked so I just rounded them with the sander. They’re all smooth not sharp anymore.

Nice, I like that!

Yep. Use pea gravel.

Finally done with the chairs and patio time to enjoy some fires with the family on some cold evenings.

Good job Kyle!

Family enjoying it.

Excellent job! I may have to borrow that genius on those chairs.

I can share the plans with you if you’d like. Shoot me you email in a pm and I’ll forward you the plans.

Great pic and great job! I too am one of those fellas that struggle to get out of those damn chairs. Liked them when I was younger though.

Turned out great, good job youngster